Electric lamp socket



Dec. 10, .1940. H. J. MCCARTHY 2,224,829

ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET Filed June 12, 1940 2 Sheets-She et 1 la I Fig 6 H J McCart l y I INVENTORZ WIQW ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET Filed June 12, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet-Z Henry J Mf art/91, INVENTOR.

ATTARNEV.

Patented Dec. 10, 1940 type.

PATENT: OFFICE ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET Henry J. McCarthy, Danvers, Mass., assignor to Hygrade Sylvania Corporation, Salem, Mass, acorporation of Massachusetts Application June 12, 1940, Serial No. 340,083 comm. (or. 173-328) My invention relates to a socket for electric lamps and more particularly to a socket for electric gaseous discharge lamps of the tubular An object of my invention is to provide a socket so constructed as to permit a quick and easy insertion of the lamp therein.

Another object is to provide a socket so constructed as to create a positive locking position when the lamps are inserted therein.

A further object is to provide a socket for electric gaseous discharge lamps in which the contact terminalsoi said lamp are concealed thereby eliminating the possibility of short-circuiting and shock.

Still another object is to provide a socket so designed in its structure that it will obviate any possibility of pins on opposite sides of the lamp from being inserted accidentally in the wrong slot and thereby placing a strain on the pins and the base itself.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent irom the accompanying specification and drawings in which: 1

I Figure'l is a perspective view of the cover plate. Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the socket with the base in the locking position. v

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the socket with the base being spnmg out of the socket.

Figure 4 is a front perspective view of the base member.

, Figure 5 is a rear elevational view of the base member showing the spring contact members in position.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the base member. Figure 'I is a top view of the base member.

Figure 8 is a rear perspective view of the base member.

Figure 9 is a side view of a lamp disposed in the correct position for its proper insertion into the sockets.

Figure 10 is a front view of the socket.

The socket according to my invention com-.

prises twopieces of insulating material, one of which is a cover plate, I, and the other a base member 2. The base is recessed to provide channels in which the spring contact members 3 and l are seated.

The cut-out 5 provides a passage throughwhich the pins 6 and I on the lamp base 8 may pass and the cut-outs 9 and I! provide a locking position into which the pins 6 rotated.

and I are The upper section of the inner face of the socket has the arcuate cut-out 5 to provide for the rotation therein 01 the pins- 6 and I-of the lamp base 8 to a contact in the cut-out locking ears 9 and ID, with the spring contact members 9 5 and l. The top of the face has a slot II therein, of a size and shape to permit the insertion therethrough of the base pins 6 and, I when. said pins are in alignment with this slot. The cut-out 5 diverges downwardly from the slot ll, broaden- 10 ing out inan arcuate manner and having a pair of cut-out locking ears 9 and I0 adjoining thereto at right angles to the lower extremity of the arcuate portion.

Thus to insert a lamp-base in the socket, the 5 base is first placed in such a position that the 7 base pins are in alignment with the slot II at the top of the socket. By a straight downward movement the pin 6 will slide down through the slot II and into the cut-out 5, and by rotating the lamp in a clock-wise manner, the pin 6 which was inserted into the top slot II first, will move into the locking position 9 adjoining the cut-out 5. By rotating the base, using the pin already in the locking position 9 as the center of rotation,

the other pin I will slide along through the cutout 5 and into the other locking position l0.

These locking ears 9 and ID are shaped in such c a manner that they are narrowed down at the point where they adjoin the arcuate cut-out 5 so as to be just about wide enough to allow the passage of the base pins therethrough. The spring contact fingers 3 and 4 are so shaped at their upper extremities, i. e., at that portion of the fingers which projects into the arcuate cutcuts 5, that they establish contact with the base pins when the pins are ready to move into the locking ears 9and I 0.

When, in the process of inserting a base into its socket, the base takes a position similar to 40 that shown in Figure 3, pressure is applied to the base to cause the spring contact finger I to flex backward sufliciently to allow the base pin' 6 to enter the locking cut-out 9. When the pin 9 is v in its locking position in the cut-out 9,- the base is rotated .to bring the pin I down through the arcuate cut-out 5 and into contact with the spring contact member 4. By applying pressure on the base so that the pin I will exert a force against the spring contact finger 4, the finger will fiex suiliciently to allow the pin I to enter the locking cut-out III. 'The pins are firmly locked in these cut-outs 9 and Ill because the spring contact members 3 and 4 are so shaped at the point where they contact the base pins 55 and I. 'These contact members may be'bent rlght angles at their lower extremities so asto that they exert an upward pressure on the p thus forcing the pins up against that side of the locking position which forms a right angle with the sides of the arcuate cut-out I. Thus the pressure exerted by the contact fingers really. forces a positive locking as shown in Figure 2'.

The lobes l2"and l3 form a part of the spring contact fingers 3 and 4 and are located at the -tip of the contact members in their extension into the locking cut-outs ,and Ill. These lobes serve as a means of preventing the lamp pins-- finger and become locked behind it in the lock ing cut-out. Any force exerted on the lamp to remove it from this incorrect position would tend to loosen or break the base pin.

When the base is to be removed from the socket, there is no danger of twisting or straining the pins because the base may be rotated in either a clock-wise or counter-clock-wise direction.- In either case, a pin will be released from its locking position by the rotating motion and will slide up into the arcuate cut-out section I and assume a position similar to that shown in Figure 3. With the pin, I, now free from any pressure, the pressure exerted by the other spring contact on the other pin C will be released in an upward direction. when the pin-l which was first released reaches the cut-out ll. Thus the sudden releaseof pressure on the pin I will cause the base to snap out of the socket. By taking advantage of this force exerted by the release ot-pressureon the spring finger," the danger of an improper withdrawal'of the base from the. socket is thereby obviated. Y

The two channels for the spring contact members 3 and 4 are recessed downthrough the center of the base member of the socket extending downwardlyfrom the cut-out-locking earsso as to provide positions in which the spring fingers may be mounted, These channels are soshaped that they diverge upwardly into the cut-out locking ears so as to provide. for the flexing of the spring contact-members when the base pins are inserted therebetween.

Thesechannels broaden out at their lower extremity and the recesses H and II are provided for the mounting of the screw plates IO and IL on the bottom of the spring contactinembers provide for the mounting thereon of the screw plates. Lead-in wires may be connected to the screw-plates l6 and I! through the cut-outs l8 and I9, thereby establishing an electrical contact with the socket contact members 3 and 4. h The cover plate I, is fastened to the base 2 by means of screws or the like driven into the studs "and 2| provided therefor in the base member of the socket. The stud 22 in the middle of the upper part of the cover plate projects through the arcuate cut-out of the base member when the cover plate is attached, in a flush mounting manner, to the base member. This stud serves as a safety device in helping eliminate any possibility of shock from contact with the fingers extending up through the cut-out locking ears.

What I claim is: I

l. A socket for electric lamps and similar devices having bases with two contact pins, said socket comprising? a hollow insulating member with a broad face and small thickness-perpendicular to the face, said face having a'cut-out portion principally bounded by three intersecting arcs with ear-shaped cut-out portions at each end of the are forming the base of the main cutout portion and with the intersection of the other I two arcs being at and in communication with a transverse slot in the topof the hollow insulating member; two flat spring contact pieces inside the hollow insulating member, one of said spring contact pieces being set behind each of the eared cut-out portions of the hollow insulating member, each of said spring members being placed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the main insulating member to exert aforce upward from the base of the main insulating member and tow'ardthe longitudinal axis of said'member.

2'. Alsgcket for electriclamps and'similar devices h'avinglbases with two contact pins, said socket comprising: a hollow, insulating member with a broad face and small thickness perpendicular tothe face. said face having a cut-out portion in the shape of a three-sided figure having it apex in communication with a transverse slot in the top of the hollow insulatingmember; two

fiat sp'r'ing contact pieces inside the .hollow insulating member, one of said spring. contact members being set behind each of the base corners of the three sided cut-out portion; each of said spring members being placed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the main insulating member-to exert a force upward from the base of the main insulating member and toward the longitudinal axis of saidmember.

H'ENRY J. MCCARI'HY. 

